Focus put on ‘coastal charm and local businesses of our barrier islands from Longboat to Manasota’
With Sarasota County’s barrier islands continuing recovery efforts in the wake of the 2024 hurricane season — and many businesses having reporting downturns — the county’s tourism marketing office has launched a new initiative in an effort to entice more people — including residents — to explore the islands.
Christened The Sarasota Keys are Calling, the marketing campaign of Visit Sarasota County has been crafted “to ensure local businesses along the keys and barrier islands are seen, supported, and sought-after by tourists in this Spring season ahead — and all year long,” a Visit Sarasota County (VSC) news release explains.
Launched on March 13, the campaign “taps into a combination of social media storytelling and digital ads to spotlight the beaches and experiences that continually make our shores an award-winning destination,” the release adds.
Through this spring and early summer, the release explains, “Visit Sarasota County will feature hidden gems and longtime favorites along every key — from Longboat and Lido to Siesta, Casey, Venice, and Manasota …”
“After months of resilience and rallying, Sarasota County’s barrier islands are in a strong place and ready to welcome visitors,” said Erin Duggan, president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County, in the release. “March is traditionally the busiest month of ‘tourism season’ — and our aim with this campaign is to keep our region’s elevated sense of hospitality top-of-mind and our businesses first-in-line to welcome the tens of thousands of visitors who choose our community as their home away from home,” she added.
In March 2024, the release notes, Sarasota County welcomed nearly 160,000 people who stayed in paid accommodations and contributed to local collections of Tourist Development Tax. (The 6% “bed tax” is charged on accommodations rented for six months or less time. Its proceeds are used for a wide variety of tourism-related efforts, including maintenance of the beaches and the county’s two Major League Baseball Spring Training stadiums, in Sarasota, where the Baltimore Orioles host opponents, and Wellen Park near North Port, where the Atlanta Braves play.)
“Cumulatively,” the Visit Sarasota County release continues, “these [March 2024] visitors generated $232,641,200 in direct expenditures — investments that stay local and support local businesses. Beaches were a top draw, with 80% of visitors hitting the sand at least once during their vacation. Visit Sarasota County’s Spring campaign aims to sustain the momentum, especially as Siesta Key and Longboat Key are again in national headlines with accolades from TripAdvisor, Travel + Leisure, and Forbes, among others,” the release adds.
In late February, Travel & Leisure named Longboat Key the best island to visit in the South. Mary Helen Law, a Georgia-based luxury travel adviser, won the assignment from the magazine to help compile the list, Travel + Leisure noted.
Law wrote that Longboat was “ ‘one of the region’s best-kept secrets,’ ” the Travel & Leisure listing said. “Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the quiet barrier island is just a 20-minute drive from Sarasota, making it relatively easier to get to if you’re flying to the Sunshine State. The island does lean more residential — and, thus, the beaches are typically less crowded — but there’s still plenty to do if you want to stay busy. Activities range from kayaking with dolphins and manatees to sunset cruises and pickleball matches,” the listing added.
Moreover, Forbes included Longboat Key among its Top 12 Travel Destinations for 2025. Eight of the destinations on that list are outside the United States.
This year, TripAdvisor named Siesta Beach No. 1 in the United States, based on reviews through its website. Yet, business leaders and representatives of the Siesta Key Association have been asking the Sarasota County Commission to help them draw more visitors by improving the look of the island in the wake of the devastation it suffered from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 and Hurricane Milton in October 2024, as The Sarasota News Leader has reported.
To experience The Sarasota Keys Are Calling campaign, the news release says, “follow Visit Sarasota’s County on Facebook and Instagram @visitsarasotacounty or take advantage of deals offered by local businesses on funinthe941.com.”
To learn more about Visit Sarasota County, go to www.visitsarasota.com.